Plug-machine.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

W. R. MONTGOMERY.

PLUG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 26, 1900.

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N0. 727,666. D PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

W. R. MONTGOMERY.

PLUG. MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 261 1900.

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g ggu gg UNITED STATES Patented May 12, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM RILEY MONTGOMERY, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR .OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS H. MONTGOMERY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PLUG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 727,666, datedMay 12,1903. Application filed October 26,1900. sent-1 No. 84,467. a. modem To all whom, itma'yconcern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM RILEY MONT GOMERY, a citizen of the United States of America, residingin thecityof Louisville, in 5 the county of Jefl erson -and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plug-Machines, of which the following, taken in connection with" the accompanying'drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates 'to mechanism for both forming and finishing plugs or briquets without the necessity of putting them through separate mechanisms for the several purposes. While it is clearly usable in connection with any substance which-"it is desired totreat in this manner, I havedesigned it for special use in connection with the formation of tobaccoplugs. l-Ieretofore it has been customaryin mechanism of this class to form-the tobacco 2o plug in a press, one plug at a time, and then eject the same from the mold or'former, to be afterward placedin areceptacle of some'suitable shape, there to be held for some period of time in order that-the plug 'might retain the shape given it in the mold.

The first of the objects-of my invention is to reduce the mechanism required for finishing or forming plugs or briquets by provid-' ing a machine in which both the compressing or forming and the finishing operations can be done without passing the material through other machines.

In carrying out my invention I secure more economical results than have been heretofore possible and secure other advantages which will be hereinafter more apparent.

In the annexed drawings, which illustrate a machine embodying my invention in'preferred form, Figure 1 shows the mechanism 40 in side elevation, and Fig. 2 another view in;

elevation, a portion of it being taken in section upon line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial view showing some of the details in vertical section. Fig. 4 is another view, also partly in section, showing'the clamping devices which I employ. Fig. 5 is a plan section on the line 5 5 of Fig. at. Fig. 6 is aplan view of the bed of the machine, and Fig. 7 is a detail section showing the clamping mechanism used in connection with part of my de- V1ce.

. Referring, in the first place, more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that in carrying out my invention'I provide, first-, a frame or support for theinachinel, carrying a bed'2 at'it-s lower part and a reciprocating plunger 3 at its upper portion, coupled with mechanismcomprising, essentially, a pitman 4 and the gears'fi and'beit-wheel 6 for imparting reciprocation tothe plunger 3. Upon the bed 2 is provided a box 7, having removable sides8 and reinforcing portions 9, held together by means of clamp devices, such as the wedgeslOgand, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, carrying within the sides a plunger or receding bottom 11, supported upon a rod 12, which is pressed between two clamps 13, held against the rod, by means of the screw or clamping device 14 in such a manner as to re- ;sist compression of the material placed within the machineand at the same timeto recede sufficientlyto make room for each plug as it is formed. The upper end of the box is provided with'a removable flask or frame 15, designed for measuring the quantity of material to be put in one plug, and there are also provided upon the upper end of the boxa couple of hasps 16, pivoted to the box in such a manner that when the flask 15 is removed after the box is filled with plugs the hasps 16 can be swung upwardly into position, as

shown in Fig. ,4, and a couple'of keys or wedges17, driven in to hold down a cover 18, put in place,'and thus retain the plugs in the box,'which may then be taken off the machine and, kept as long as is necessary to insure the plugs retaining their proper shape permanently. Around the sides or ends of the box are a couple of straps 19, designed to aid in holding the parts together, and at 20 are arranged some dowel-holes designed to receive dowel-pins fixedin the side portions of the box, so as to insure their being put together in proper position; The bedof the box 2 is composed of two parts held itogether 5 by means of the bolts 21 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 6, and the screw device 14 has a handle for operating the same (shown at 22) and can by means of this be readily adjusted to secure any desired degree of pressure upon I00 the rod 12 that may be desired.

The rod 12 is preferably made tubular and provided upon the inside with an inner rod .23, carried by means of a foot-lever mechanism 24, by which pressure with the foot will cause the rod 23 and the plunger 11, carried thereupon, to be lifted.

The operation of myinvention is as follows:

The plunger 11 having been raised to position even with the top of the box and the flask or frame 15 having been put in place with the compressing-plunger 3 elevated to its highest position, the flask 15 is filled with the material to be compressed and the plunger 3 then caused to move downward and compressing; the material in the flask until it is squeezed into the box, at the upper portion thereof, the plunger 11 having during the compressing operation exerted a resistance due to the friction upon the rod 12, but also having receded a sufficient distance to make room for the plug as it is formed, as is indicated at 2 in Fig. 2. A small separator or plate 26 is then put upon the finished plug, and another lot of material having been put into the flask 15 this is compressed, the plunger ll receding another step and permitting the formation of another plug. In this manner plugs may be formed successively, one on top of another, until the entire box is filled, after which the top 18 is placed upon it and the wedges 17 driven in to hold the top in place and the box taken off the machine to permit another box to be put in place of it for the formation of another lot of plugs.

From the above it is obvious that by providing a sufficient number of boxes 7 the machine can be operated practically COI1tl1111 ously and the tobacco after it is formed into plugs retained in the boxes until it is certain to keep its propershape, when the boxes can be taken apart and the tobacco taken out.

Having thus described my invention, What 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A machine for forming and finishing plugs of tobacco, comprising a reciprocating compressing-plunger, means foroperating the same, a removable box wherein to compress the plugs,a resisting-plunger within said box, and means whereby to impart a predetermined degree of resistance to said resistingplunger, and to permit a step-by-step recession thereof within said box, during the operation of said compressing-plunger, substantially as described.

2. A machine for forming and finishing plugs or briquets comprising a reciprocating compressing-plunger, means for operating the same, a box wherein to compress the plugs, a resisting and receding plunger within said box, and clamp devices for permitting an intermittent recession under fixed pres sure, of said plunger, substantially as described.

3. A machine for forming and finishing plugs or briquets comprising a reciprocating compressing-plunger, means for operating the same, a removable box wherein to compress the plugs, a resisting and receding plunger. within said boX, a rod supporting said receding and resisting plunger, and friction devices bearing upon said rod, whereby to govern the resistance of the same and the extent to which it recedes, substantially as described.

4. A machine for forming and finishing plugs or briquets comprising a reciprocating compressing-pinnger, means for operating the same, a removable box wherein to compress the plugs, a bed whereupon said box may rest, a resisting and receding plunger within said box, a rod supporting said plunger and passing through said bed, and clamp devices for exerting friction upon said rod, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM RILEY MONTGOMERY.

W'itnesses:

WILLIAM FULLER, DAVID R. TATE. 

